Archive for the 'football' Category

TENNIS

It was an exciting weekend at the US Open.

In an emotional post-game interview after #1 seed Naomi Osaka beat 15-year old phenom Coco Gauff in the 3rd round, Naomi told Coco’s parents they raised an amazing player and should be proud of their daughter. Unfortunately for the defending champion Naomi, she was eliminated in the next round, losing to #13 seeded Belinda Bencic of Switzerland.

On the men’s side, Rafael Nadal reached the quarterfinals at the Open for the ninth time in his career (with his buddy Tiger Woods wildly cheering from the stands). Nadal is attempting to win his fourth US Open championship and 19th Grand Slam. Nadal could potentially face his rival Roger Federer (whom he has never played in New York) in the Finals. Federer holds the record for 20 Grand Slam titles.

FOOTBALL

Former Alabama quarterback Jalen Hurts impressed the college football world this weekend in his debut as the starting quarterback for the Oklahoma Sooners. In a 49-31 win over Houston, Hurts had 6 touchdowns and a career-high 508 offensive yards. Hurts went 26-2 in his two seasons at Alabama but then was replaced by Tua Tagovailoa before last season. Hurts joined Oklahoma’s team in January as a graduate transfer. Alabama coach Nick Saban had only good things to say about his former player. He said, “And we’re really happy for him, not only in the way he handled himself throughout this entire process, but now that he’s having success as well.”

GAMING

Gaming superstar Ninja, aka Tyler Blevins, rocked the streaming world by announcing he’s switching platforms from Twitch (owned by Amazon) to Mixer which is run by Microsoft. Ninja explained the move saying, “Mixer provides me with more ways to connect with my community.” Ninja has over 14 millions followers on Twitch, but his management team will be looking to bring his fans to Mixer and will start by him hosting his first Mixer livestream on Friday from the music festival Lollapalooza in Chicago. Ninja is also reported to be writing three books and a graphic novel.

BASEBALL

The Oakland A’s made a baseball fan’s dreams come true when they signed him to a contract after he threw a ball 96 mph in a speed-pitch booth at Coors Field while at a game with his brother. 23-year old Nathan Patterson played high school baseball, but didn’t start getting serious about playing until last summer when he began working out.

FOOTBALL

The college preseason Amway Coaches poll revealed almost no surprises. Clemson was easily ranked #1 while Alabama came in at #2. The rest of the top five went to Georgia at #3, Oklahoma at #4, and Ohio State at #5.

BASKETBALL

Kawhi Leonard is in the midst of suing Nike for what he claims is his “Klaw” design. Kawhi said he provided the design to Nike so he owns it. Nike has now countersued stating “In this action, Kawhi Leonard seeks to re-write history by asserting that he created the ‘Claw Design’ logo, but it was not Leonard who created that logo. In his Complaint, Leonard alleges he provided a design to NIKE. That is true. What is false is that the design he provided was the Claw Design. Not once in his Complaint does Leonard display or attach either the design that he provided or the Claw Design. Instead, he conflates the two, making it appear as though those discrete works are one and the same. They are not.” After ending his contract with Nike, Kawhi has signed a shoe deal with New Balance.

Houston Rockets superstar James Harden has a new hobby. He recently purchased a minority stake in Major League Soccer’s Houston Dynamo and the National Women’s Soccer League’s Houston Dash. He also has a stake in BBVA Stadium where both teams play. He commented, “Houston is my home now, and I saw this as a way to invest in my city and expand my business interests at the same time. Soccer in general, and especially MLS, have exploded in this country throughout my lifetime. I’ve been a fan of the game for several years, and I know that Houston has a massive soccer fanbase, so it was an easy decision for me when this opportunity arose.”

In other NBA news, Toronto Raptors Kyle Lowry underwent surgery to repair a torn tendon in his left thumb. Lowry is planning to spend his off-season participating in USA Basketball training camp and FIBA World Cup later in the summer

FOOTBALL

Michigan Head Coach Jim Harbaugh took a swipe at his former rival, Ohio State’s Urban Meyer. Meyer retired last year after a winning season but one filled with controversy. Meyer was suspended for the first three games of the year due to a domestic violence allegation against one of his assistant coaches, then led his team to a 13-1 season and a Big Ten title. Meyer’s Ohio State also has a 4-0 winning record over Harbaugh. In an interview with The Athletic, Harbaugh said, “Urban Meyer’s had a winning record. A really phenomenal record everywhere he’s been. But also, controversy follows everywhere he’s been.”

TENNIS

NovakDjokovic defeated Roger Federer in an epic finals at Wimbledon. After four hours and 57 minutes, the match was the longest final in Wimbledon history and could have potentially gone on even longer, but it was the first time the championship was decided by the tournament’s new fifth-set rule, which institutes a tie-breaker in the fifth set if the score reaches 12-12. With his 7-6 (5), 1-6, 7-6 (4), 4-6, 13-12 (3), Djokovic won his fifth Wimbledon championship and his 16th major.

In the women’s final, Serena Williams lost to Simona Halep. Williams was attempting to win her 24th Grand Slam title.

FOOTBALL

Ryan Leaf is back. Leaf was a football phenom when he was the #2 overall pick in the 1998 NFL pick for the San Diego Chargers. His life went into a tailspin from drug addiction and prison-time, but he has now been hired by ESPN to work as a college football analyst.

FOOTBALL

Damon Sheehy-Guiseppi took a circuitous route to earn a spot on the Cleveland Browns’ roster this season. After not receiving a scholarship to college, he showed up uninvited for an NFL workout in Miami, where he pretended to know the Vice President of Player Personnel for the Cleveland Browns. Sheehy-Guiseppi’s speed impressed the group, and he was invited for an official workout for the team a week later (where he spent nights in 24-hour fitness facilities and sleeping outside). He again impressed the personnel and earned a spot on the roster. His story reads like a scene from the movie “Major League” where Willie Mays Hayes shows up uninvited at the fictional Indians spring training and runs a blistering 40 in his pajamas to earn a spot on the team.

CBS Sports puts out the top NFL players under 25 list every year and to no ones’ surprise, Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes claimed the #1 spot. Rounding out the top five is LA Chargers Joey Bosa at #2, Cleveland Browns Myles Garrett at #3, the Texans Deshaun Watson at #4, and the Browns Baker Mayfield at #5. For the full list, click here.

FOOTBALL

The legendary Green Bay Packers quarterback and coach, Bart Starr, passed away over the weekend at the age of 85. Starr led the Packers to three straight championships (the only quarterback in NFL history to do so) and earned MVP honors at the first two Super Bowls. He also received the NFL’s most valuable player award in 1966. After retiring as a quarterback in 1971, he became Green Bay’s head coach a year later and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1977.

BASKETBALL

The Toronto Raptors defeated the Milwaukee Bucks in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference finals on Saturday night and will face the Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals. The Raptors host game 1 of the best of seven series on Thursday night. Golden State’s Kevin Durant is not scheduled to play in game 1, and Center DeMarcus Cousins has been listed as questionable.

BASEBALL

The infamous Boston Red Sox first baseman Bill Buckner died at the age of 69 after battling Lewy Body Dementia. Buckner played for five different Major League Baseball teams over the course of 22 years, although he is most remembered for messing up a play (as a member of the Boston Red Sox) in the 10th inning of Game 6 of the 1986 World Series against the New York Mets. His error allowed the winning run to score. The Mets then went on to win Game 7, and Buckner had to endure years of death threats and public humiliation. Eighteen years later when the Red Sox finally won the World Series, fans stopped harassing him. And, when the Red Sox won again in 2007, Buckner even threw out the first pitch the next season and received a four-minute standing ovation.

FOOTBALL

The NFL made a few changes to their TV schedule heading into the new season. The most significant for anyone living in two-team markets like New York, LA, Bay Area, and Washington/Baltimore, is the modification to what’s called the single-header. The single-header rule previously only allowed these two-team markets to watch their home teams on a Sunday afternoon. With the new rule, there will three Sunday afternoon games (in addition to a Sunday evening game) in every market.

BASEBALL

In a scene that could be right out of a movie, 38-year-old Rajai Davis was called up from Triple-A Syracuse on Wednesday around 5:00 pm to join the NY Mets in the 3rd inning of their game against the Washington Nationals. Davis thought his manager was joking when he got the call, but then realized it was happening and jumped in an Uber which took him 2 hours to get to the stadium. Davis proceeded to hit a three-run homer in his first at-bat to help propel the Mets to a 6-1 win. Davis thanked his Uber driver after the game and said, “Me and Jason, we got to know each other.” According to Mets manager Mickey Callaway, “I think I saw him in the fifth or the sixth for the first time. He got here about the third. He Ubered over, got ready, came out, hit a homer, came inside, didn’t know where the clubhouse was, how to get back in, had to ask some people, ‘Which way do I go to get back in the clubhouse?’ And just slapped high-fives going into the line. Yeah, whirlwind day for Raj; great at-bat.”

BASKETBALL

The University of Michigan hired former star Juwan Howard as their new head coach. Howard was part of the 1991 legendary Michigan Fab Five which included Chris Webber, Jalen Rose, Jimmy King, and Ray Jackson. After helping the Wolverines to two national championships, Howard played for 19 seasons in the NBA. In 2013, he joined the Miami Heat as an assistant coach, where he’s been for the past 6 years. Howard replaces John Beilein, who was recently hired as the head coach of the Cleveland Cavaliers.

BASEBALL

Bryce Harper had a memorable return to Washington on Tuesday night. Harper played for the Washington Nationals his whole career (selected in 2010) until he signed a whopping $330 million 13-year contract with the Philadelphia Phillies in 2018. The Nationals fans booed him throughout the game, but after two early strikeouts, he came back with vengeance. After a couple of hits beginning in the 5th inning, Harper made his big statement in the 8th with a massive 458 ft home-run (and cool looking bat flip). After the game, Phillies manager Gabe Kapler said, “It was pretty powerful, for him to do what he did tonight. In the dugout, (the booing) made us all want to step up and support Bryce.” Phillies 8, Nationals 2

BASKETBALL

LA Lakers guard Lonzo Ball is suing his Big Baller Brand (BBB) co-founder Alan Foster for conspiring to embezzle money and divert funds for his personal use. According to ESPN, Ball and his family did not know Foster had a criminal past, and when he was released from prison, he “embarked on his plan to target Ball and his family and fleece them of millions of dollars.”

FOOTBALL

Well, that didn’t last long. The Alliance of American Football (AAF) has folded with two weeks left in the regular season. The AAF was founded last year with the goal of becoming a feeder league for the NFL. According to reports, when the NFL Players Association announced that sending their young players to the AAF would violate terms of their collective bargaining agreement, the AAF decided to suspend operations.

BASKETBALL

Murray State’s Ja Morant’s triple-double was the highlight of day one in the NCAA tournament. In a big 83-64 win over #5 Marquette, Morant recorded 17 points, 16 assists, and 11 rebounds. He is only the 8th player to register a triple-double in the tournament. The last player to achieve this feat was Draymond Green in 2011 and 2012 when he played for Michigan State. Murry State is ranked #12 so Morant and his teammates were feeling good about their win. After the game, Morant said, “It was a lot of fun. Just being able to go out with these guys and get a win in the NCAA tournament.”

FOOTBALL

According to a Wall Street Journal report, Colin Kaepernick and Eric Reid received less than $10 million in total for their settlement in the NFL collusion case (not including what they spent in legal fees). Kaepernick was earning $14.3 million in his final year with the San Francisco 49ers, but has remained unsigned the last two years.

FOOTBALL

Johnny Manziel has a new home. The troubled former Heisman trophy winner and Cleveland Browns quarterback signed with the Memphis Express in the upstart Alliance of American Football (AAF). According to Bill Polian, co-founder of AAF, “We are pleased to welcome Johnny Manziel to Alliance of American Football, which we’ve always described as a league of opportunity for talented players to launch or revitalize their pro football careers. We completed extensive background work to determine whether it would be appropriate for Johnny to play this season, and after consulting with many people familiar with his situation, we concluded that it would be good for him to resume his pro football career here at The Alliance.”

BASKETBALL

ESPN accidentally revealed the brackets for the NCAA women’s basketball tournament on Monday, hours before the official “selection show”. Many teams were upset as they wanted the excitement of listening to their schools announced on a live broadcast. ESPN apologized saying, “In working with the NCAA to prepare for tonight’s Women’s Selection Special we received the bracket, similar to years past. In the midst of our preparation, the bracket was mistakenly posted on ESPNU. We deeply regret the error and extend our apology to the NCAA and the women’s basketball community. We will conduct a thorough review of our process to ensure it doesn’t happen in the future. We will now broadcast the full bracket at 5 p.m. ET on ESPN2, and the regularly-scheduled show on ESPN at 7 p.m.”